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The piece was created across 20 recording sessions, where volunteers and members of the public were invited to recreate the sounds of the sea, and a series of sea shanties.

Sound recordist Chris Watson (Image: Warren Gunn)

Chris said: "Ocean Song has been a unique opportunity for me to create a piece where the songs, rhythms and music of our oceans join company with local choirs to lead the Pevensey Finback whale to it’s new home in the Whale Hall”.

Yesterday it received its public debut, with a performance by ‘Soundwave’, a community choir assembled specially for the event.

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It was previously kept in an open atrium, exposed to the elements, but has been painstakingly relocated to the purpose-built ‘Whale Hall’ in the refurbished museum.

The Ocean Song launch, at the Zoology Museum's new Whale Hall (Image: Warren Gunn)

Ms Wade said: “It is a really great project to do, it has been very different as a museum doing a big public art project like this.

“It’s really atmospheric and evocative in the Whale Hall, and it should make a real different to the experience in there.

“When you come to visit you will be able to hear some of the sounds of the sea, and some of the animals and traditional sea shanties as well.”

The Soundwave choir perform at the Whale Hall (Image: Warren Gunn)

With the whale now safely in place the refurbished building was opened by Sir David Attenborough last year, but the museum’s team is now hard at work relocating its thousands of other exhibits and artefacts.

The Ocean Song project was funded by Arts Council England and the Heritage Lottery Fund.